Steve Newport wrote:
Hi all,

I am in UK and wonder if I understand 'can' in the same way that you
do. To me it means tin cans and that says to me you have some sort of
large industrial plant at the end of your garden making tinned
tomatoes?

Or are you talking about putting them into glass jars?

Personally I like the idea of frezzing and have done this myself last
year. One pound bags of chopped toms.

Also, a guy asked earlier about drying - that sounds interesting -
anybody help?

Yes, the reference to canning implies in glass jars (usually
Mason jars) and processed in a hot water bath.

I just peel them and cook them down into totally unseasoned
tomato sauce and freeze in ziplock bags. Works very well.
Freezes flat so they stack nicely and we have "fresh" sauce
all year.

As for drying, the question was about sun-drying as I recall
which is why I didn't answer as I've never done that. You
can dry in the oven as well though.

Preheat the oven to 200dF (TOPS). Quarter the tomatoes and
place them in a single layer on non-stick baking sheets.
Some people seed them, I don't. Personal preference.
Others flavor them with herbs/spices at this point. I don't.
Again, personal preference.

Into the oven for 16-20 hours (no I'm not kidding)
The goal here is not to cook them but to dry them out.
I do this quite frequently in my Little Chief cold smoker
for smoked, dried tomatoes. They're fantastic but you have
to be careful what type of wood to use while in the smoking
process and how long you keep the wood on the heating element.

After they're dried, you can store them in sterilized jars
covered with olive oil and sealed tightly. They'll keep for
2-3 weeks that way in the 'fridge. I vacuum seal them and
into the freezer.


--
Steve